Quick Kitschy Kitchen Curtain~

We have a window in our kitchen that needs replaced.  It is functional, but u.g.l.y.

Since we are still deciding the design of the kitchen (before remodeling), this window is in ugly limbo land, hanging there and irritating me daily. 

It is west facing, so in the evening, the sun blinds us during our evening meal. 

My solution? A tacky, kitschy curtain.... to hide the window, and block the sun.

The floral fabric is from a thrifted, vintage twin fitted sheet.

The bird fabric was about a foot short of the needed length, so I decided to add a panel at the top. 

It extended my length and added some whimsey (whimsey is a classier word for tacky. grin)

  The bird fabric I scored at Ikea several years ago because I loved it.

  I made the curtain short so it easily cleared the shelf below it.

  The panels are minimally sewed and hemmed so I can repurpose the fabric in the future if I choose.

The ring clips eliminate the need for a rod pocket and make the curtain easier to open and close.

  I am in love. Tacky, thrifted, colorful and whimsical. 

Perfection.

Loving Life...

Things have been quiet on the blog, but not in life.
We lost a dear friend to Melanoma last week, which just... well, it just sucks.
Life lesson is that life is short. and beautiful. even when it hurts.
That's all I have to say.

I leave you with some photos of life these past few weeks...

Making things sparkle with Jackie Sparkles...

Semi-frozen pond... pretty but. brrrrr (ugh).

Twig star...

Latest Hats~ Zoe's Thorpe hat and Ann's Earflap Hat from handspun~

Maureen is molting. She looks horrific and it's cold. Silly chicken.

Measuring the tree height. Tall man ruler.

Hauling to the tree shaker... where they shake out the critters and dead stuff.

MOM! Stop taking my picture!

Mamma likes the barn siding on the tree farm barn. 

Taking notes for OUR barn/studio renovation coming this spring.

Tree on car!

The tree is still in the barn, in it's stand, still bound, 

waiting for us to dig a hole so it can come inside... perhaps today?

Halloween Spray Painted Jars~

Last week Jackie sent me a link to a DIY for spray painted jars... So our play day project was just that.

She made yarn wrapped jars which came out cute, and I decided to do some super tacky Halloween themed jars.... jack o' lantern and black cats!

First step was to mask off part of the jar. I used simple making tape and drew my design on with pencil. I cut the features I wanted masked off with an exacto knife and peeled away the excess tape.

We then took the jars outside and spray painted them. I think they each got three light coats total. We sprayed until they looked covered. No exact science here.

The black cat jars got a coat of matte black (which I love love LOVE), and the jacks? Some got a coat of orange then neon-pinkish orange, and the rest just the neon. This pinkish orange fluorescent/neon color makes me weak in the knees.

Once they were dry I peeled the making tape off, put votives in and lit them. MEH.
Not so spectacular. The features were lost on the pumpkins and the cats just disappeared. duh. Black jars don't really glow that much. (no pics of this step, I sort of had a mini-tantrum).

Next day my brain kicked in and I decided to paint the Jack's featured black. I used acrylic, which will probably peel off at some point. Not so worried about this as they are not handled much. A sharpie marker may work better? I will try that if the paint peels off.

The cat jars got a layer of white gesso inside. WORKED! yay.  

Once lit, the effect is a bit woozy, which is just perfect!

Craft Hope~ Bracelets for Russia

My friend Michelle rocks.
She is a busy artist/business woman/mother so getting together to art and hang out does not happen as often as we would like, but when we do... watch out!
Most of the time we just chat and brainstorm, but last Friday we made stuff. Cool stuff!

It was her idea to make bracelets for Craft Hope... Project 12: Orphan Outreach.
Here are photos she so graciously shared.. it was late in the evening and I forgot my camera. doh!

Most of the bracelets in the wagon were made by Eve & Ann last fall for their GS troop. 

They donated them for Craft Hope. 

I crocheted a pile from my handspun foozles and beads. They are in there somewhere...

The cuffs in the front were made by Michelle. 

My favorites? The collaboration bracelets... Michelle sewed my crochet bracelets to her cuffs.

You can see one here... it's the second from the left.

The second one? I totally snagged and kept. >:)

Here is a link to Michelle's post about it. With more pics!

Hoarder? Frugal? Thrifty? Green?

Call it whatever... but there are some things I just cannot toss into the landfill.

My biggest thing is yarn, fiber, fabric...

I just know I can reuse these items until the point of practical disintegration.

Please do not call the Hoarders show people on me. (Have you seen that show? sheesh. Poor people. It does put things into perspective though.)

Here are some shots of my insanity...

This is my thread jar. It sits next to wherever the sewing machine is. All thread snips and pieces go in there. They look so pretty all tangled up in there!

I will eventually card these into a batt and spin into a yarn.

The jar itself is made from knotting strips of fabric scraps together.

This is the snibble and foozle bin that lives under my studio table.

 All fiber and yarn pieces go into this bin.

My local yarn shop from PA still saves foozles for me to add to this bin. (love you all at UT).

Snibbles are tiny pieces of yarns... Foozles are a but longer, and can be used for more things... Both phrases were used by my great-grandma. 

Contents of this bin will also eventually be upcycled into handspun yarns. 

There are actually two bins full right now, perhaps its time to start carding?

There are many other things I do to reuse my stuff... stay tuned for more posts about my green/hoarder/frugal tendencies. The madness goes on and on...

Cabled Dreams Journal~

Another Journal~

Available (for now) in the Shop (Material Whirled) on the Journal Page!

The cover is quilted with a lover-ly hydrangea-esque floral pattern.

I couched down strands of a coordinating handspun yarn with matchy-matchy threads.

The acid green knit cabled panel, is a gauge swatch for a project I never got started. Which is fine, because it was really meant for this book.

The closure is an old green coat button and a chain of my handspun.

Inside the front cover is a pocket made from some painted canvas, great to hold your pen or cell phone.

Cover measures 7 in. x 9 inches closed.  

Perfect size to slip into your knitting bag~

           
Inside hand bound pages measure 6 1/2 x 9 (largest)... others vary under that.
108 pages (counting front and back)
Pages are a collection of scrapbook cardstock, printed lined papers, copies of a yarn pattern my late memaw had written out by hand (my mom just found this and sent to me).... there are many clear pockets and places for you to slip in notes or pics...

  

12 of the pages are my art collages... created specifically for this book from old craft books, parts of my paintings, ephemera I have hoarded, yarn sample cards, etc. etc. etc.
Also cards made with my new yarn-ball stamp I carved...
Embellishments are sewn, glued and taped in.
I am sure there are other things I am forgetting to list here, so some things will be a surprise! (teehee)

 

Consider this a Jump Start for your art and journaling! 

A collaboration~ between you and me :)

What can you DO with a book like this?
Record your knitting projects....

Journal you thoughts, dreams, plans, prayers and intentions...

Write out your grocery and to-do lists.

Glue or tape in your favorite photos...

I can go on and list things for days... 

I took a kajillion pictures for you to see, there are more on the journal page in the shop. 

 

One-of-a-kind! You will be the envy of your knitting group~ 

Be careful what you wish for...

'cuz you just might get it.

Hello from Woodbury-Downs...

the protector elf given to us by our friends...

he looks like he is snoozing but if you get too close-- watch out!

You know? I have everything I wanted out of life.... and am very happy where I am.... facing 40 in a month. Love my girls, LOVE my husband, have amazing friends and family.

Life is good.

Ezmaralda the beautiful one in her usual perch on my studio table.

New project I am obsessing on....

prototype #1... plant hanger made from chunky black yarn.

Prototype #2.. made from my handspun with cats applied in place of beads.

meow!

Prototype #3 still on studio table... pics to come when finished.

Yesterday I spent several hours at Michelle's studio, creating and chatting away.

I met two new artsy friends, Janne, who is visiting from Norway, and Teri, who lives locally.

We had a blast...

You can see pics here on Janne's blog...

my camera battery was dead so I did not get any shots.